Communications and community engagement directors from HCA East Florida Division collected school supplies for the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County last year. They continue to support local schools with a school supply drive planned for July.
Numerous community service projects across Florida will aid students and teachers as they head back to school
July 10, 2023 — HCA Florida Healthcare, the state’s leading network of hospitals and healthcare facilities, will host its first statewide We Show Up for Our Schools month of service in July. Colleagues will donate time and resources to ensure teachers have what they need to accelerate learning and kids in our communities can stay healthy and focus on their studies.
“HCA Florida Healthcare exists to give people healthier tomorrows, and we believe education is central to that. We’re honored to help students and teachers receive the support and supplies needed to start the school year strong,” said Joe Flynn, AVP of community engagement for HCA Healthcare and president of the HCA Healthcare Hope Fund. “We Show Up for Our Schools is just one of many ways our organization supports students and teachers across the country. We are thankful to the local school systems and nonprofit organizations whose missions align with our own and have generously agreed to partner with us to generate an even greater impact on the Florida communities we serve.”
Showing Up for Florida Schools
HCA Florida Healthcare colleagues will come together to show up for our students and teachers in a variety of ways, including:
- Hosting school supply drives to give all K-12 students the same opportunities to start the school year right.
- “Stuffing” buses, vans, bins, and even ambulances across the state to give children the tools they need to succeed in school.
- Joining onsite beautification projects and hands-on volunteer opportunities at various schools and afterschool programs.
- Collecting cash donations to purchase school supplies for Florida public school districts.
Jody Jones and Mariah Monroe, Intrafacility Transport Service Paramedics at HCA Florida North Florida Hospital, will fill an ambulance with school supplies for students at Alachua County Public Schools.
Showing Up for Communities
HCA Florida Healthcare is proud to partner with community organizations and institutions to build a diverse pipeline of future healthcare workers, ensure access to mental health resources and provide necessary supplies for our students and teachers to succeed across Florida.
- We Show Up for Mental Health: We’re proud to have partnered with EVERFI, an international technology company driving social change through education, to launch Mental Wellness Basics, a digital resource that introduces middle and high school students to mental health education.
- We Show Up for Diverse Students: In 2021, HCA Healthcare announced a three-year, $10M investment in Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic-Serving Institutions in support of our goal for a diverse pipeline of future healthcare professionals. The first two $1.5M investments were made in Florida institutions: Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University’s School of Allied Health Sciences and Florida International University’s Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences. And our Nurse Cadre program in Miami and our upcoming Nursing Exploration Boot Camp in Pensacola expose high school students to the many opportunities in the healthcare industry through an equity lens.
- We Show Up for Future Healthcare Professionals: HCA Florida Healthcare’s UCF Lake Nona Hospital hosts three Mini Medical University Days each year, providing high school juniors and seniors with a day of simulated procedures, classroom interaction and a hospital tour. This program is designed to inspire future healthcare professionals with a day of education and hands-on experience. Next year, we’ll expand the program further to offer this opportunity four times per year, allowing us to reach more students.
HCA Florida Healthcare is committed to creating healthier tomorrows for communities across the state through volunteering time, making charitable donations and partnering with other organizations. In March 2023, nearly 2,000 volunteers from HCA Florida Healthcare hospitals showed up at 64 community partner organizations to recognize the first anniversary of the HCA Florida Healthcare brand and to donate both time and money to important causes.
About HCA Florida Healthcare
HCA Florida Healthcare, a part of HCA Healthcare, is a family of more than 650 affiliated sites of care, including hospitals, physician practices and freestanding emergency rooms. United as a statewide network in 2022, HCA Florida Healthcare includes approximately 11,000 experienced doctors and more than 79,000 colleagues working together to deliver advanced, collaborative care to more than 8.6 million patients each year. HCA Florida Healthcare is committed to improving more lives in more ways and giving back to the communities it serves. The network provided $848.8 million in uncompensated care and invested significantly in innovative technologies and facilities across Florida, including the new $360 million state-of-the-art, multi-specialty HCA Florida University Hospital in Davie, Fla. A strong advocate for the next generation of healthcare professionals, HCA Florida Healthcare is also a major supporter of university-based healthcare programs and residencies and fellowships throughout the Sunshine State. For more information, please visit HCAFloridaHealthcare.com.
